Headlight.



T. L. HILES.

HEADLIGHT. 7

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1908.

905,312. Patented Dec. 1,1908.

2 BHEBTB-SHEET 1.

Inventor I 1 a, i

T. L. HILES.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1908.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses and useful Improvements in Headlights; and I do herebydeclare that the followinga sheet-metal shell A, which I prefer to make at the. rear end, and circumferentially corin the art to'whiclr it appertains to make v light slightly modified. Like arts are designated by'correspondin sym THERON L. FIIILES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HEADLIGHT. I

, 4"... I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 190&

Application mm 2a, 1908. sol-m No. 444,991.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Tumor: L. l-llLns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in, the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new description of my said invention, taken in 7 connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled.

and use the same.

This invention has general reference to headlights; and especially that class of. headlights generally used on automobiles, launches, ships, cars, locomotives and other vehicles '01- vessels; and it consists, essention of arts and details of construction, as hereinaflter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the. claims.

In the drawings already, referred to, which serve to illustrate this invention more fully, Figure 1 is an elevation of this improved headlight and Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fragment of the reflector and the diaphragm-which holds the reflector in position, Fig 4 is a transverse sectional elevation inline a: w of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a headls of reference in all the fi res. he object of" this invention is t-e pro duction of an effective, eflicient and serviceable electric headlight that can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable figure. To attain this end, I construct this headlight of somewhat tapering or conical and smaller rugated, as clearly shown in the figures. This shell is beaded at a at its forward end, or a stron wire riiig is fastened to this end of the shel to stiffen the same and at the same time constitute means for locking the lampront to said shell aswill hereinafter more fully appear. 1"

B is the bottom of this headli ht.- It is also made from metal either in t e process of casting or-stamping and is corrugated, 'as shown, and the shell A is spun or otherwise turned over the edge of the bottom B, at b,

- or other ap roved method. tially, in the novel and peculiar combinain order to secure a firm and substantial l structure, screws 6 being used to unite the two parts. This shell A with its bottomB',

instead of being made in two so arable, pieces secured together as describe may, however, be drawn on spunin one integral of the curvatures substantial y as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but when drawn the are preferably made as shown in Fig. 5, t at is piece. When spun, the corrugations may be to, say, the various circular indentations may have strai ht lines, or in other words, be I parallel with the longitudinal center line of the shell so as to be capable of being lifted out of the draw-die in which said shells are produced; or the shell may be drawn as a truncated cone having smooth sides and the corrugations produced by rolling, spinning,

O is a re ector. Itis preferably of parabolic contour but may be of other suitable curvature delineated with reference to a focal point for parallel rays and made from thin glass in suitable molds; if desired, the surface and curvature may be furtherrefined by suitable grinding and polishing. It

is silvered on its back, or outer, surface,

thereby-producing averybrilliaht reflector which, owin to the fact that it. is silvered on its outside, where it is not sub'ected to the influence of heated gases, &c-., will retain its brilliance for almost an indefinite space of time. This reflector C has at its apex an opening '0, the edge of which is outwardly turned to form a flange 'c by means of which the reflector is held centrally within the shell A in conjunction with a diaphragm D, which also is pl ovided with a central aperture '11, tlie'edge of which is formed into a groove, d, which embraces the'annular flange of said reflector. The forward or ;material, shownilr Fig. 3 at 7) being placed into the groove .c'as well as into the groove .cl inthe diaphragm D in order to prevent metallic contact with the reflector and the possibility ofits breaking.

The dia hragms D and E have flanges f f respective y by which andthe screws e already mentioned, and further screws (4 in the flange f of the diaphra gm D the diaphragms are removably secured td the shell A so that they may be withdrawn should it i become necessary to remove the reflector for any purpose whatsoever. In the forward larger, end of the shell A" there 1s located an annular ring F, formed to correspond with the contour of the shell A and held threaded s ank. L, which shank passes throu h a central, screw-threaded, a erture in the ottom B and is further secure thereto by lock-nuts M. The wires or cords N conveying electric current to the lamp ass throu h this shank L and the lamp is .broug t into the focus of the reflector C by adjusting the shank and its lock-nuts in an obvious manner. It will now be observed that b constructing this headlight as describe I have produced a headlight that is eminently suited for use in automobiles, launches, ships and other vehicles and vessels, and in order that the parallel rays of 1i ht therefrom may be thrown in advance of such. car, vessel, &c., to any articular point I provide this headlight wit a downwardly-projecting lug 0 securely fastened to the shell A by curved flanges 0 said lu O havin an alperture g, forthe reception of a pivotolt and a slotted aperture 9 for the reception of a fastening bolt P whereby the headli ht may be fastened to any suitable object a which may be a plate, lug, strap or any other part of said car, &c. This construction provldes an easy means .of adjusting the hue of projection of the beam of light in a vertical plane. At a s eed of ten miles an hour a car travels a out 15 feet in 1 second; at 20 miles an hour about 30 feet per second or 300 feet in 10 seconds. This is a speed often attained in ordinary travel and many times is exceeded as speed capacityof average cars is from 30 to 50 miles an hour. This feature of speed-capacity makes it a matter of importance to the driver and occupants of a car to be .able to adjust the. line of beamprojection in a vert1cal plane as it is obvious that the point of maximum road-illumination should be varied to suit the surface conditions of the road and the personal eyeht equation of the driver of the car wlth erence to the average speed at which car is driven.

The tang or lug 0 below the lamp-body is fitted with a round and a slotted opening. Into the round hole is fitted the round pm or bolt P on which the headlight pivots; by swinging it upon this pivot the center line of riding my headlight with the lug an lines in Fig. 4. and may or may not dispense eoee 12 Another desirablefeature of this im- )roved construction lies in the fact that the at side surface of the tang or lug O is alwa s in a vertical plane arallel to that in WllOll the center line of ight-pro'ection lies, hence, when the lag is bolted to the side frame of a car or to a stud in line with it, the center line of light-beam is in line with the longitudinal axis of the car and the road is lighted in the direct line of travel. This alinement is not secured by the fork-bracket in common use. in Fig. 2 I have shown this lug with its side-wise-projecting, curved. members or flanges O in solid lines. Instead of this construction I may continue the flanges or members 0 to form a ring as shown in dotted lines in Fi 2 and in solid lines in Fi s. a and 5, sue a construction adding to tio stren th of the headlight without materially ad in to its weight. Thus in the smaller sizes 0 headlights the flanges or members 0 may extend to, or slightly above or below, the center line of the shell,

wvhile in the larger sizes of headlights, or

where special strength is require these side-flanges or members 0 ma be continued" to cover the entire interna circumference o'f the central portion of the shell A.

I have heretofore mentioned the resent prevalent construction of automobile, aunch, &e. headli hts as having pivots by means of which the eadlight is suspended in a forked bracket. While I prefer the construction shown in the drawings as being the more desirable one, it is evident, that instead of roits side-wise progectinlg, curved members or ring as descri ed, may provide the members O with pivots S, as shown in dotted with the 1n 0 in order to enable this bcin use brackets, although b doing so, the erfect results of directing the rays of li ht lieretofore described niayuot be as fully realized as'by my preferred construction. By thus constructin the headlight with its inner, central stifi bning plates or ring, '[attain the important results of strength and durability of the entire structure; the outer surface is free from projecting parts and is, therefore, more readily cleaned and polished. It also adds to the pleasi -appearance of the headlight by securing armony of outline amp in connection with existing iu these specifications and drawings, all

and graceful proportions. It is, further- I more, anew and novel element in lamp-body 5 construction and is a distinct im rovement over the )revailing types or mode s usedon automobi es, all of which are arranged with projecting ears which are locally secured to shells of lamps either by solder or rivets and which engage the ends of a forked frame or bracket; these brackets are unsightly in appearance and represent considerable cost and expense in attaching lamps to automobiles; the method described herein is better from a mechanical point of view and effects a saving in cost. The cars in common use being of limited size and area of contact with the shell of lamps concentrates all stresses and strains due to support by brackcts at these points where they must be sustained by the shell of the lamp alonewhereas, in theconstruct-ion shown and described strains due to vibrations or shocks are sustained by the central side plates or ring 0 and carried by them directly to the frame of the car through the projecting lug O, which may bebolted to car frame. Owing to the exposed position in'whieh auto head-lights are usually placed, projecting in front of cars, they often receive damage by collision with other vehicles or with obstructions with which cars collide, these considerations make the improved construction herein provided of special and practical importance.

The headlight may be made in steel, brass, copper or any other suitable material and finished in any desired manner.

Having thus fully described this invention I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United Statesa 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a headlight, consisting of a conical, circum; terentially-corrugated, shell having its forward, larger end reinforced as described; a bottom in said shell; a hinged door on said shell; a diaphragm located near the bottom of the headlight and having a central aperture, the edge of which is formed into a groove; a further diaphragm located near the larger end ofsaid shell and also provided with an opening, the edge of which is I formed into a groove; a parabolic'refiec'tor having ledges or flanges engaging the grooves insaid diaphra ms, and an electric lamp located in the re ector and provided with means for adjustment so as to bring said lamp into the focal-'pointpf said reflector. I i

shell and also provided with an opening, the

edge of which is formed into a groove, a parabolic reflector made from glass and Sllvered on its outer surface, and having ledges or flanges engaging the grooves in said diaphragms, and an electric lamp located in the reflector and provided with means for adjustment 'so as to bring said lamp into the focal point of said reflector, said means consisting of a screw-threaded shank theaxis of which is in line with the longitudinal center-line of the headlight, and locking means for said shank.

3. Ina headlight, a parabollc reflector composed of glass and silvered on its outer surface, in combination with a shell or casing; diaphragms in said casing and means for removably attaching'the reflector to said dlaphragms, said d aphragms being circular disks removably attached to the shell of the headlight and having central apertures the inner edges of which are formed into retaining members to embrace the reflector at its open ends. 7

4. In a headlight, a parabolic reflector composed of glass and silvered on its outer surface, said reflector having an aperture in .its apex, the edge of which is outwardly flared and having at its lar er end an outwardly projecting ledge or ange, in combination with a suitable shell and means for securing the glass reflector within said shell, said means consisting of two circular, flanged, disks removably attached to said shell, said disks having central apertures the edges of which are formed into retaining means t0 embrace the open ends of said reflector, and a soft-material lining in said retaining-means, as describe 1.

In testimony that-I claiiii the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- THERQN L. HILE's. Attest: i

MIoHAnL J. SrARK, WILLIAM O. STARK. 

